Chances of me getting into MSU? Early Action or Retake SAT?

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what my chances are of getting into Michigan State?

I’m about to be a senior in high school and it’s time to start making choices on where I want to go.

My GPA is on the lower end(3.393 weighted, 3.3 or 3.35 unweighed(need updated transcript)) and I know MSU usually gets an average of 3.5 GPA. However, my SAT is 1150(600 Math, 550 Writing and Reading), and MSU’s average SAT score is around 1040-1210, so i’m in the middle.

As for AP classes, I have taken 4 so far, and taking another 4 next year. I also have been in 5 honors classes, and taking 1 more next year. I know Michigan state strongly encourages college curriculum.

For extra curricular activities, I am in a competitive marching band, and I also do jazz band in the spring. I have some leadership in both bands as well (lead trumpet).

I don’t know if this impacts anything, but the reason my GPA is so low is because I screwed up freshman year. I didn’t care for my grades, nor did I really understand how important they are for my future. I ended up with a 2.8 that year, and ever since that year I have progressively gotten my grades up. Each year of high school my grades get better and better.
Is that something that they will see, or should I mention it in a personal statement?

My next question is, should I apply as soon as I can, or should I wait? I know Michigan State gets a lot of applications, so applying early might benefit admission chance, but if I wait to apply, I can retake the SAT. Michigan States early action deadline is October 7th, and the SAT scores don’t get posted until October 20th. I can probably raise my SAT to 1200-1250, so i’m not sure if 50-100 extra on the SAT is worth it or not. Also, if I wait to apply, I can raise my GPA up a little bit more(probably up to a 3.4), which would help my chances., along with them being able to see my extremely rigorous schedule senior year.

I understand that it is a stretch, but this school has been on my mind for a while and I would love to get in. Any help or suggestions is highly appreciated, and I will try to respond to any replies as soon as possible,
Thanks guys!